Larch goes white

One of my seedlings has turned colour. It is a seedling from a grafted Larix kaempferi 'Blue Rabbit', with (a bit) curly needles. It was the only seed that sprouted from this tree.
Used to be blue green but this year it started to go white on one branch, no illness, healthy new growth.
Odd to say the least.
Anyone can shed some light on why and how?

112 People read this and nobody knows, amazing. It probably doesn't happen often. Appreciate you reading though.  

I have not been able to find anything on the web, at least not anything that I can read AND understand.  

arihato wrote:112 People read this and nobody knows, amazing.

I understand your frustration but I have come down to thinking, after eight years or so on this and other forums, that one knowledgeable and correct response is preferable to a raft of guesses. Same goes for plant identification.

I have experienced this on a larch but I can't remember what it was called or what caused it. I do remember that it happened at a point where I was able just to remove the discoloured bit and that seemed to sort it. Obviously on a seedling where you are looking to extend the growth considerably this is not what you'd want.

Best I can do. Sorry.

HI Fiona

You can try maybe Epson salt, ive seen this on my Japanese black pine (new growth)
add a half teaspoon on the soil & give water. after a week it should show signs of recovery.
seems like a magnesium deficiency.

Hope this helps

Regards
Bertie

sorry message meant for Arihato not Fiona

Regards

I have been a dedicated reader of this site for a while now & thought I would register because I have seen this in some of my mature larch for the past few seasons.

I feed & water them well & towards the end of the growing season some of the new shoots develop a very pale yellow or white colour. They usually turn brown & I trim them back during the dormant period.

The trees are otherwise healthy & I put it down to the tree trying to push new growth too late in the season.

There is probably a better explanation but I would not worry too much unless you see the rest of the tree start to suffer

Thank you for your replies. And I agree Fiona, but I was also hoping to get a sense of how often does this occur and what happened with those trees/branches.

The Larch has been fed Culterra 10-4-6, an all organic fertiliser and every couple of years it gets trace elements (Frit from Chempack). As all my Larch in training they get a large dose every 4-6 weeks. Soil is Akadama + crushed granite, slightly acidic.

I'm keeping a close eye on it and noticed yesterday that the stalk is turning light green, the new growth is starting out light, almost white and later turns a buttery yellow.
With any mineral deficiencies the plant doesn't look healthy and this one certainly appears healthy.
It has always been a bit of an odd one being a seedling of a sport (blue rabbit) and with the curly needles.

Bertie, I don't think it is a deficiency, but I'll try a dose of epsoms, it won't do any harm.

Albinism in plants is fairly common, usually seen on selected cultivars that are only partly albino and are known to gardeners as variegated. That is because if the entire plant is entirely albino - lacking in chlorophyll, it can't photosynthsise. Yours may stay that buttery yellow if it receiving sufficient food from the normal green parts. As variegated plants are generally undesirable in bonsai, I'd just trim it off.

Thanks Kev, for the time being I'll just watch what it does. It's not a great Bonsai at the moment so no great loss, and I have enough Larch without quirks. It can as is stay for now.